The Russian Academy Of Arts

The Annual National Arts Club’s Gold Medal of Honor has been awarded to Zurab Tsereteli for his significant role in the promotion of art. Zurab Tsereteli is the first Russian artist who received this one of the most prestigious American awards in the field of culture. The Gold Medal of Honor was presented to the President of the Russian Academy of Arts Zurab Tsereteli on June 4 by the National Arts Club’s President O. Aldon James at the ceremony within the framework of the annual Festival “Our Legacy” launched in New York. Aldon James noted that in various years the award winners had been Salvador Dali, Robert Rauschenberg, Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein and other eminent figures of arts, reports ITAR-TASS.

“For many years Zurab Tsereteli has been one of the most efficient ambassadors of art” – said Marina Kovaleva, the Head of Russian American Foundation for Culture. She reminded, that in the “cold war” years the artist presented as a gift to the United States his remarkable sculpture “Good Defeats Evil” standing on the north lawn of the UNO Headquarters in New York.

Marina Kovaleva has also said, that within the framework of the Festival in the Metropolitan Museum on June 9, 2010 the New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will honor Zurab Tsereteli as one of the distinguished representatives of the Russian-speaking world community contributing to the promotion of a cultural dialogue between Russia and the United States. Last year the Mayor’s special award was presented to the poet Andrei Dementiev.

From 4 June - 20 June, 2010 on display in the exhibition halls of the National Arts Club in New York will be a solo show of works by Zurab Tsereteli entitled “Zurab Tsereteli: Two Cultures in Art”. All the works presented in the exposition have been created by the world renowned artist during his visits to New York.

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